REVISED UNHCR-WFP MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 003566 SIPDIS FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME STATE FOR AS/PRM DEWEY, PRM/P, DAS/IO SANDERS AND IO/D USAID FOR A/AID, AA/DCHA, AA/AFR, DCHA/FFP, PPC/DP, PPC/DC USDA/FAS/FOR CHAMBLISS/TILLSWORTH GENEVA FOR RMA AND NKYLOH/USAID UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 03566 01 OF 02 190646Z BRUSSELS FOR USAID USUN FOR LSHESTACK NSC FOR JDWORKEN OMB FOR TSTOLL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EAGR AORC PREF EAGR AORC PREF KUNR WFP UN KUNR EAID WFP UN SUBJECT: REVISED UNHCR-WFP MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING SIGNED ON JULY 9 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. UNHCR AND WFP SIGNED A REVISED MEMORANDUM ON JULY 9 AIMED AT FURTHER STRENGTHENING COOPERATION IN THE PROVISION OF FOOD AID FOR REFUGEES AND RETURNEES WORLDWIDE. ON A PILOT ONE-YEAR TRIAL BASIS, WFP WILL ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FINAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE BASIC FOOD RATION IN FIVE REFUGEE PROGRAMS. UNHCR WILL FULLY INVOLVE WFP IN THE PLANNING AND EXECUTION OF REFUGEE ENUMERATION, REGISTRATION AND VERIFICATION EXERCISES FOR ACTUAL OR POTENTIAL BENEFICIARIES OF FOOD AID AND RELATED NON-FOOD ITEMS. FURTHER, WFP AND UNHCR WILL TAKE MEASURES TO ENSURE THAT AT LEAST 80 PER CENT OF FOOD INPUTS ARE DIRECTLY MANAGED BY THE ADULT FEMALE IN THE HOUSEHOLD. END SUMMARY. -------------- BACKGROUND UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 03566 01 OF 02 190646Z -------------- ¶2. RUUD LUBBERS, UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR) AND JIM MORRIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF WORLD FOOD PROGRAM (WFP) SIGNED ON JULY 9 A REVISED MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING AIMED AT STRENGTHERNING COPPERATION AT THE FIELD LEVEL IN DELIVERING FOOD AID TO REFUGEES, RETURNEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDPS) WORLDWIDE. THIS REVISION UPDATES A PREVIOUS MOU INITIALLY SIGNED IN 1985 AND AMENDED IN 1992, 1994 AND 1997. NOTE: FODAG HAS E- MAILED COPIES OF THE REVISED MOU TO STATE/PRM, USDA/FAS AND DCHA/FFP - AND WILL BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE COPY TO ALL USG PARTNERS UPON REQUEST. END NOTE. -------------- -------------- HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2002 NEWLY REVISED UNHCR-WFP MOU -------------- -------------- ¶3. HEREWITH THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2002 REVISED UNHCR-WFP MOU, AS FOLLOWS: A) "WFP AND UNHCR WILL TAKE MEASURES TO ENSURE THAT, TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE AND TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF THE BENEFICIARY POPULATION, AT LEAST 80 PER CENT OF FOOD INPUTS ARE DIRECTLY MANAGED BY THE ADULT FEMALE IN THE HOUSEHOLD; B) UNHCR WILL FULLY INVOLVE WFP IN THE PLANNING AND EXECUTION OF REFUGEE ENUMERATION, REGISTRATION AND VERIFICATION EXERCISES FOR ACTUAL OR POTENTIAL BENEFICIARIES OF FOOD AID AND RELATED NON-FOOD ITEMS; C) WFP WILL BE CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE PLANNING AND UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 03566 01 OF 02 190646Z IMPLEMENTATION OF REPATRIATION OPERATIONS, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO TIMING, SECURITY AND OTHER COMPONENTS THAT WOULD AFFECT FOOD AID PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION; D) UNHCR WILL ENSURE THE FULL INVOLVEMENT AND THE EFFECTIVE PARTICIPATION OF WFP STAFF IN BOTH THE PLANNING AND THE EXECUTION OF THE NUTRITIONAL SURVEYS, AND IN THE ANALYSIS OR INTERPRETATION AND DISSEMINATION OF THE RESULTS; E) THE FINAL DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD COMMODITIES WILL BE NORMALLY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF AN IMPLEMENTING PARTNER OF UNHCR (EXCEPT IN THOSE COUNTRIES SELECTED FOR THE PILOT ACTIVITIES MENTIONED IN F BELOW),WHOSE DESIGNATION SHALL BE JOINTLY AGREED UPON BY UNHCR AND WFP; F) ON A PILOT BASIS AND FOR AN INITIAL DURATION OF 12 MONTHS (PER COUNTRY),WFP WILL ASSUME, AT ITS OWN COST, RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FINAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE BASIC FOOD RATION IN FIVE REFUGEE PROGRAMMES. THE PILOT COUNTRY PROGRAMMES WILL BE SELECTED JOINTLY BY UNHCR AND WFP BASED UPON JOINTLY AGREED CRITERIA AND IN CONSULTATION WITH THE CONCERNED WFP/UNHCR COUNTRY TEAMS; G) UNHCR AND WFP FIELD STAFF WILL UNDERTAKE PERIODIC JOINT MONITORING ACTIVITIES AT THE FOOD DISTRIBUTION SITES (WHICH INCLUDES FOOD BASKET MONITORING ACTIVITIES) AND AT THE HOUSEHOLD LEVEL (WHICH INCLUDES POST-DISTRIBUTION MONITORING OF THE END USE OF THE DISTRIBUTED UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ4999 PAGE 01 ROME 03566 02 OF 02 190646Z ACTION PRM-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AGRE-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 COME-00 CTME-00 WHA-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 EUR-00 OIGO-00 E-00 UTED-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OES-01 OIC-02 OMB-01 SSO-00 STR-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 FMP-00 SAS-00 /004W -------------- CD619A 190649Z /38 P 190645Z JUL 02 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4970 INFO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE AMEMBASSY OTTAWA AMEMBASSY BERN USDA FAS WASHDC 2228 USEU BRUSSELS 2753 USMISSION GENEVA USMISSION USUN NEW YORK UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 003566 SIPDIS FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME STATE FOR AS/PRM DEWEY, PRM/P, DAS/IO SANDERS AND IO/D USAID FOR A/AID, AA/DCHA, AA/AFR, DCHA/FFP, PPC/DP, PPC/DC USDA/FAS/FOR CHAMBLISS/TILLSWORTH GENEVA FOR RMA AND NKYLOH/USAID UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 03566 02 OF 02 190646Z BRUSSELS FOR USAID USUN FOR LSHESTACK NSC FOR JDWORKEN OMB FOR TSTOLL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EAGR AORC PREF EAGR AORC PREF KUNR WFP UN KUNR EAID WFP UN SUBJECT: REVISED UNHCR-WFP MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING SIGNED ON JULY 9 COMMODITIES)." -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶4. WHO CONTROLS THE FINAL DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD TO REFUGEES, RETURNEES AND IDPS HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY A POINT OF UNHCR- WFP CONTENTION. WHEN THEN HIGH COMMISSIONER OGATA ADDRESSED THE WFP BOARD IN OCTOBER 1996 SHE AFFIRMED UNHCR'S LEAD POSITION: "I FEEL QUITE STRONGLY THAT RETAINING RESPONSIBILITY FOR DISTRIBUTION, WHETHER OF FOOD OR NON- FOOD ITEMS, IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE DISCHARGE OF MY MANDATE." THIS MOU MOVES BEYOND THIS "BARRIER" (AND IN USMISSION'S VIEW WISELY SO) IN CONFIRMING WFP'S LEAD IN FINAL FOOD AID DISTRIBUTION IN FIVE REFUGEE SETTINGS ON A ONE-YEAR PILOT BASIS. MOREOVER, "IF (AS THE UN PRESS RELEASE ON THE SIGNING COMMENTED) THE NEW DIVISION OF LABOR PROVES MORE EFFECTIVE, WFP WILL TAKE OVER THE TASK (I.E., FINAL FOOD AID DISTRIBUTION IN ALL WFP/UNHCR PROGRAMS) WORLDWIDE." TAMLYN UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 03566 02 OF 02 190646Z UNCLASSIFIED > 2002ROME03566 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED